Naruto's Prowess
by Aoi Shinkaze
Summary: Naruto worked hard over the month leading up to the Chunin Finals, and now he's more than ready to show the world his power. Keeping most of it back, of course. Wouldn't want everybody to know all of his tricks or his actual threat level of course.


A random plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. I don't know if I would ever lengthen it into an actual story.

[Chunin Finals, Konoha]

Neji stood across from Naruto, their gazes locked as the proctor called out the start of the match.

"Byakugan!" Neji exclaimed, raising his fingers on his left hand, activating his clan's famed dojutsu.

Naruto merely smirked, and adopted a low stance, knees bent, body low to the ground. His left hand hovered just above his left knee, right hand above his head. Naruto's eyes were full of nothing but cool confidence, a fact which drove the Hyuga across from him insane with anger.

"You fool!" the teen shouted at the other, "You cannot hope to defeat me! The Fate of this match was decided the instant you were declared my foe!"

Naruto remained calm, and, instead of refuting his fellow Leaf-ninja's declaration replied in a soft, carrying voice. "Yes, the end result was decided in that moment." Neji appeared shocked, set off balance by his opponent seeming so nonchalant about being set to lose. "But the result you think is going to happen, won't. Because I, not Fate, will decide who wins the match. I have decided that I will win this match. And I think, and believe, and will make it so!"

And so saying, Naruto shot forwards, stunning the elder ninja, all of whom had concluded that charging a Hyuga was a lesson in futility. Most looked on with contempt of pity, regarding Naruto's words as silly idealism or naivety.

Neji lifted his hands in preparation as the younger ninja barreled towards him, he could already see the many flaws, and oh how many there were, in Naruto's stance, and he smirked, secure in his knowledge that dead-lasts remain so for the rest of their lives, never to move upwards.

As Naruto approached the older ninja, he leapt into the air, spinning with his legs extended. After three turns, his chakra enhanced right foot slammed into Neji's guard, ramming through as he released a carefully timed burst of chakra to disperse Neji's burgeoning strike.

Neji back-pedaled, but not before Naruto's hands blurred, solid punches hammering into the Hyuga's chest causing him to gaps ad pause. Naruto seized the moment, and with a flurry of blows, brought his opponent to the floor. Sliding out two kunai, Naruto held them to Neji's throat.

"Surrender."

The unspoken threat lingered. But Neji saw hesitation in Naruto's body, and read it as Naruto wouldn't actually cut him if he moved. And so the teen leapt away.

But Naruto had only been hesitant to inflict more damage, and as Neji leapt away, he reacted. Twin, tiny slash marks appeared on Neji's throat and the kunai spun in Naruto's hands before being lodged in his opponent's chest.

Blood spurted from Neji's mouth as he collapsed to his knees, Naruto's expression wavering between grim and horrified, not having expected his instincts to take over and near perfectly execute the generally instant kill move.

The heavily injured teen's hands flashed as the sped for Naruto's heart, Neji's eyes sparking with fury as he tried to kill the dead-last. Naruto, still focused if off-balance, easily slapped the other's hands away, slamming his palms into the teen's chest on reflex once more, sending the Hyuga flying away. As Neji rolled to a stop, the kunai fell out, leaving the teen to gasp in surprise and pain as blood gushed from the severe wounds.

[Kage Box, Stadium]

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked in on the proceedings with a bit of worry. If young Neji died, he would have lost the greatest talent born to that clan in a few generations. Also, he was still unsure if Naruto's hesitance came from actual shock, or just being unused to killing. As the light flashed, and Naruto's face was briefly exposed to him, the Sandaime Hokage saw that indeed, even in the heat of battle, Naruto did not wish to gravely injure the young Hyuga. That he had done so had shaken the Genin, and Naruto now seemed to just wish the match over, and for his fellow ninja to be healed.

To not wish death on the Hyuga boy was not the wants of a killer, and Hiruzen relaxed, secure in his knowledge that Naruto was not a cold-hearted killer. Yet.

[Main Floor, Stadium]

"Medic!" Naruto yelled for the medics, who already seemed intent on coming onto the battlefield and damn the consequences.

"No! I will defeat you!" Naruto's head whipped around, just in time to catch a fist to the face.

As he jumped up, he traded a number of blows with the older Genin, before exhaustion won, and Naruto managed to slam two palm strikes into the older teen's chest once more, sending the boy to the floor.

"Had enough yet?" Naruto's voice held no malice, merely concern for his well-being, a fact that angered Neji even further.

He lunged once more, trying to land a fatal hit, but suddenly found his arms numb. As he fell over, unbalanced, Naruto rolled him onto his back.

"There now. Not so bad, is it? Now do I have to knock you out, or will you surrender?" Naruto's consoling voice gave no pleasure to Neji, as he vainly attempted to raise his arms, twitch his fingers, anything.

"What. What did you do to me?" Neji's face reflected his shock as he felt the tell-tale signs of having his tenketsu blocked off.

Naruto winked as he responded. "Well, a magician never tells his secrets. I feel like ninja shouldn't either." Naruto stood as Neji quietly surrendered. Stretching, he took in the wide smiles on Hokage-jiji, Iruka-sensei and Jiraiya-ero-sensei's faces.

Kakashi-sensei merely seemed shocked, as did most of the rest of the stadium. Little did they know, but the three previously mentioned ninja had worked Naruto into the ground for the past month, with the aide of Iruka-sensei, Jiraiya-ero-sensei and three of Hokage-jiji's clones, the boy turned Genin had become a Chunin in all but name.

In fact, Hiruzen had quietly slipped Naruto a solo A-rank mission, and had promised Naruto a field promotion once it was completed. The A-rank was merely to keep Gaara from killing anyone or damaging too much property in the off chance he was used as a weapon.

[End Chapter]

And that's where it ends. I'm not sure if I'll ever write more. Basically, Naruto gets trained by the Sandaime Hokage, Jiraiya and Iruka over the month long break, mostly to bring him up to effectively Jonin level so that he can steamroll any prospective invaders.

It's a win-win situation either way. Either there is an invasion and Naruto stomps everyone in his path, or there isn't, and Naruto is now far more capable of protecting himself and others.

He doesn't quite get to Jonin level, but he is a very strong Chunin in all but name, so anyone except Gaara would get curb stomped.

My original plan wasn't for Naruto to have gained a basic understanding and mastery of the Jyuken, but since that pot bunny sparked this one, I guess it'll crop up later.

Feel free to PM me if you want more in-depth ideas behind the story, and it's up for adoption unless I come up with a way to expand it. Which, considering the number of stories I have going, isn't likely.

Review please!


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